


The Captain and her 'Friend'

by YellowFeyn



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Non-Graphic Violence, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:33:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29308869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YellowFeyn/pseuds/YellowFeyn
Summary: A story set in the Flotilla, centered mostly around a Quarian Captain in her twilight years; She finds comfort in her ship's human doctor. (And maybe more?) Features mostly, if not exclusively original characters, depending on where the story goes. This story is a wip, so if you enjoyed come back periodically
Relationships: OC/OC
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

Captain Rayleth’Mara Vas Vestira was not an unreasonable woman; In fact, she considered herself quite lenient as far as captains went. But the man in front of her was really starting to test her. A Human doctor, standing with his arms crossed in front of her, glaring down at her like she was a disobedient child. _“Captain, I ask again. Do you understand?”_ He stood straight and stiff, datapad tucked under his arm. It was a childish mistake, really. The hole in her suit that sent her here with shivers and a body-racking cough was something she should’ve picked up on before leaving her quarters. Yet, here the two of them were, eyes locked through nearly opaque visors as one waited for the other to back down. Without waiting for an answer, the alien in front of her pressed the datapad into her hands. _“Two days of bedrest at LEAST. I have done all that I can on my end, now it is YOUR responsibility to do the rest... Even if I have to tie you to your bed myself.”_

The human’s tongue pressing out Khelish with the force of a captain himself- Even though the accent, Rayleth could tell an order when she heard one; And it only made her angrier. “Doctor Fosset, I appreciate the _suggestion_ …” The captain began, barely suppressed rage building in her voice, before being cut by several hoarse, throat tearing coughs.

Arms still crossed, the Doctor waited for her to finish hacking out her lungs before forcing the end to their conversation. _“Your crew will understand, Captain Mara. Two days is a low estimate for what you have. You may rest here until the antibiotics kick in, but when you can walk, I suggest going back to bed. Doctor’s orders.”_

He turned, not giving her a chance to argue as he sat back at his desk, another coughing fit racking her throat. _Keelah_ she hated that man.

* * *

Of course, that was almost two years ago now. True to his word, for the few days after he hunted around the bridge for her whenever he could, beating her back into her room with whatever he had in his hands at the time (“If I catch you out here one more time I will weld your door shut!”). Even her XO was useless in trying to convince their medical officer to lay off, stifling a laugh under his helmet while his captain was chased around her command chair. Her follow up examination was much more pleasant, the Doctor being much more agreeable when his patients weren’t complaining about his prescribed bedrest. Quarians were restless; if they weren’t sleeping or doing work, they were of no help to the fleet. ‘Bedrest’ was almost equivalent to house arrest; It felt more like a punishment than a treatment.

But how could Rayleth complain? Here they were, Four years into Doctor Fosset’s transfer to the Vestira, and their death rate from illness was half that of the next ship; On a cruiser with a crew of nearly four _thousand_ , they had only thirteen deaths related to suit ruptures since his arrival. Where a Quarian physician would give antibiotics and immuno-boosters, Allowing them to get back to work faster, Fosset would give one round of antibiotics, and several threats to stay in bed.

 _He may be an alien, but he must know something we don’t_.

Rayleth mused to herself, scrolling through her inbox on her Omni-tool. Outside of the doctor’s office it was cold, even through her suit she could feel the air in the infirmary sapping the warmth from her. Was this a human thing, or a doctor thing?

‘I’ll ask later.’ She settled, flicking through a handful of engineering reports with barely enough interest to read their headers. Halfway through a sentence her thoughts were cut off by shouting; A scouting operation had left an entire team of marines with punctures and ruptures, leaving the doctor a very busy man for the first two hours after they had returned. Each complaint had left him more and more irritable... One very unhappy marine was still in the room with her, avoiding eye contact with his captain as he strained against the crude metal cuffs that kept him shackled to the infirmary bed. The door behind her opened with a hiss, a male Quarian with a crutch moving as fast as he could away from the wrath of his doctor; a data-pad bouncing off of the back of his helmet. _“...And if I catch you out of bed, I will break your other leg! Do you hear me, Sergeant?!”_

“Yes- Ow! _Keelah_ , fine!”

Heavily accented yelling chased him out of the room, Doctor Fosset standing in the doorway to his office as he watched the poor soldier limp away. The captain could pick up a heavy sigh from him, watching the human pick up his data pad before waving her in with a drained flick of the wrist.

 _“Yes, Captain, it is good to see you. I need a conversation without someone arguing with me.”_ The Human’s enviro-suit was built primarily for brute function, not aesthetics; his helmet was nothing more than a cold metal breather with a small plate over each eye, all sealed against a plain helmet. His suit was an almost brutish approximation of what she herself wore, the tight silicon weave substituted with impermeable fabrics, with two protective plates on his chest and stomach.

Even through the simple helmet Rayleth could see exhaustion creeping under his eyes, only just visible under the small, near-opaque lenses. His body spoke louder than anything, shoulders hunched as he paced around the room. He checked the data-pad for damage, tapping it a few times before dropping it onto his desk. _“Captain Mara, your soldiers are going to be the death of me, I swear. If I get one more ‘I’m fine’ from someone clearly NOT fine…”_

Rayleth covered her suit’s speaker, keeping in a quiet giggle. The _Vestira’s_ resident human was quite the ‘drama queen’ (as he had called their chief engineer once), the heel of his hand pressed against his forehead.

 _“That's it. I’m moving to the Rayya.”_ The Captain slid into the chair nearest to the door, crossing her legs with a sigh. “You don’t mean that, Doctor.”

_“Of course not, that ship is a nightmare.”_

Fosset fell into the seat across from her, leaning back as far as the chair would let him get away with. _“Besides, I’d have to build my reputation from scratch again. You are an investment, Captain.”_ Rayleth could already hear a cheeky grin in his voice, another giggle escaping her.

“I think you would just miss us, Doctor Fosset.”

He mocked a thoughtful expression, his head tilting for a moment with a quiet ‘hmmm’ before he shook his head. _“No. Absolutely not.”_

His eyes were thinning under his visor, a smile hidden under the metal of his breather. The two of them shared a small chuckle before the man sat up straight with a sigh. “ _I will keep this short, Captain. Your men are damn dirty liars, their data is all incorrect… Regarding injuries, at least. It will take me all day to rewrite these damage reports.”_ The doctor had been floating around the Floatilla for over a decade, but his Khelish was still plagued with that pesky Human accent; emphasis on syllables that didn’t need it, flat ‘r’ sounds where a roll should be… Most thought it was cute, but... no one would say that to his face. He sighed again, picking through his data-pad.

 _“I cannot deliver a proper report until later today, once I am done digging it out of my guest in the other room.”_ He nodded to the door, already tapping away at the tablet. Rayleth shook her head in response, leaning on her arm while she watched him. “ _Keelah_ Doctor, I didn’t think you had it in you to actually go through with the whole ‘tie you to the bed’ rant. They must’ve really asked for it.” Amusement lined her voice, but the doctor would only give a grunt in response.

Straightening now that their playful banter was over, Rayleth leaned against his desk, hands tucked under her chin. “Doctor, Just make this easier on both of us and give me a verbal report later. We’ll have dinner or something in my quarters, my treat.” He paused at this, looking past her to the wall as he processed the request. He gave a single nod, tapping his data-pad a few more times before standing.

 _“It is a date, then. When the evening lighting kicks in, I will stop by.”_ Still reading off of his pad, Rayleth watched him step past his desk to tap the door interface with an elbow. _“Thank you, Captain. A change in scenery may do me well... Bring the spicy Levo-nutrient paste, it is the best kind.”_

The smile in his voice was back, and the pair nodded to each other as they parted. A few steps down the corridor she had a thought, inwardly groaning as she realized that she was going to have company- That means making her room look presentable. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hows that feel? I'm not much of a writer, but this was fun to make. Hope I can make more of these, comment if ya liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

Rayleth didn’t have many things to call her own. Few Quarians did, personal possessions meant much less to them than the wellbeing of the Fleet as a whole. She straightened whatever quilts and fabrics she had to make the place feel warmer before… Now what? She looked around her room one last time, hands on her hips-   
_ ‘Thought that would take longer…’ _

Rayleth shrugged to herself, eyes flicking to her Omni-tool for the time; Barely past midday. She tapped the display a few times, arranging for  _ (The best) _ Levo-paste to be delivered to her quarters at the earliest convenience. The moment her request went through, her wrist pinged under her fingers. Her eyes jumped to the title of the message; **‘URGENT! ASSISTANCE REQUIRED IN ENGINEERING!’** A captain’s work is never done.

* * *

Doctor John Fosset’s day, once he was finished drilling the marine in his infirmary for information, was much of the same. A crew of Four thousand, two hundred and forty(ish, transfers were frequent) was like someone had stuffed a small town into a warship. Quarians, in his experience, were usually a very ‘One for all’ type of people.   
Until one of them got sick.    
With their immune systems, it was always a risk to… Do anything. Eating? You could forget to sterilize your plate before serving. Using the bathroom? One seal not properly closed during waste disposal is all it takes.  _ Breathing?  _ Especially dangerous for a Quarian, Those hoses aren’t invincible, and older ones can snap if enough pressure is applied.    
  
Despite the thin line they walk, most of the shuddering, hacking and sniveling aliens that showed up in his office were  _ absolutely insistent _ that they were fine. 

  
“Of course you’re fine. You’re in a hospital.”   
Fosset chided at the young male sitting in front of him. An accident in engineering had clipped the kid’s hand, damn near tearing his thumb off; His suit was fine… Mostly. The doctor had wrapped his exposed hand down to the wrist in thin, clear plastic, a small Omni-seal keeping everything from his wrist down airtight. No symptoms yet, but you could never be too careful.   
  


_ “Doctor, can I please just get back to work? You saw, I’m fine! I’ll-” _ _   
_ A gloved, five-fingered hand pressed against his visor, the Doctor’s palm over the speaker   
  
“Hush. Kid, if you got sick and died, your mom would kill me. And if you go back down below deck with your suit like that, you’ll catch your death.”   
He tapped on his omni-tool, a small beep confirming his reservation.   
With a nod to himself he dropped two pills into a small bottle, holding it out to the young Quarian.   
“I booked you an open-air room a deck below me. Take these, fix your suit, and take the rest of the day off, just to be safe.”   
  


He hesitated, his hand pausing between them   
_ “Doctor, I-” _ _   
_   
“I know your father, young Finn’Viras Nar Vestira.” He stressed the Quarian’s full name, the glowing orbs turning to spotlights behind his mask-   
“Your mother would kill me, but your father Heon’Viras wouldn’t be as merciful. He’d talk and shout me deaf first if his  _ pride and joy _ died to a  _ cold. _ ”

_ ‘Thank god for this mask’  _ Fosset mused to himself, a grin pulling the edges of his lips.   
The lights turned down at the featureless bottle as the young man thought about what he’d said.   
  
Quarians placed their Ancestors in high esteem. Something people are quick to forget, however, is that  _ technically _ , One’s parents are ancestors. Still lost in thought, young Finn dropped off the examination bed, his head barely reaching the human’s shoulder as he held the pills in his undamaged hand.   
  
_ “...One deck down?” _ _   
_ There it is. He nodded, patting the kid’s back with a smile in his eyes.   
“Yep. You’ll be in room 4. Take your time kid, not a lot of people walk away from an accident like that with all ten- Er,  _ six _ fingers.”   
  
Finn nodded back, still lost in thought as the human escorted him out. Fosset could hear a soft  _ ‘Pride and joy…’  _ as he left, his smile only growing. Human expressions didn’t always land, but sometimes… He watched the youngster disappear down the corridor outside his infirmary, mentally patting himself on the back.  _ ‘Still got it, John.’ _ _   
_ _   
_

* * *

  
  
Rayleth idly picked at the edge of her desk, her eyes floating over the damage reports that were flooding in- A regulator on some low traffic part of the ship had worn out a day ago, causing an incident in the main engineering deck. Less than an hour after the poor engineer was sent to the med-bay, the regulator was replaced and everything was smooth sailing again.    
  
Of course, that didn’t stop her Chief Engineer from filling her inbox with report, after diagnostic, after summary… Half tempted to just press ‘mark all as read’ she sat up at her chair, eyes flicking to her wrist again.   
‘ _ Evening lighting should kick in soon. Keelah, if I have to read one more report…’ _ _   
_   
She jumped in her chair as a hollow knock rang through her metal door, Rayleth checking the time one more time before tapping a small button on her wrist.   
“Come in!”

The door opened with a hiss, the doorway staying empty; Fosset stepped in slowly, nose buried in both his Omni-tool in one hand, and a data-pad in the other. His eyes flicking between the two of them, he aimlessly made his way to the center of the room… Very… Slowly…   
  
Rayleth covered her speaker as she watched him bump into her table, muttering half of a  _ ‘scuse me’ _ before finally tearing his eyes off his tech with an  _ ‘oh-’ _ _   
_ Her shoulders shook, watching the human look around; like he had just realized where he was!   
_ ‘Keelah Doctor, you’re more overworked than I am!’ _   
  


“Yes, Doctor. It’s real.”   
Rayleth called from her desk, standing up with a small stretch-   
“Do you often apologize to furniture? Some… Human ritual?” She teased, the Doctor crossing his arms over his chest-   
  
_ “Only if it looks like it could take me in a fight. We Humans learned long ago not to underestimate tables.” _   
  
He quipped back, kicking the leg of her mighty dining table, pulling a giggle from the captain as she shook her head.   
“Sit, Doctor. Before you start a fight the upholstery will finish.”   
She couldn’t read his face, but his posture told her he was smiling- He dropped his tablet onto the table, falling into one of the two chairs that surrounded it.    
  


_ “So Captain, I… suppose you heard about-” _   
  
“ **Yes.** Far too much today, yes. I thought the Chief Engineer was going to have a mental  _ breakdown _ .”

  
_ “Careful. Do not jinx it, Captain-” _

Fosset was leaning back in his chair now, left foot resting on his knee. Rayleth sat across from him, dropping a tube of nutrient paste in front of him.   
_ “There is still time in the day” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit shorter this time, but hopefully, I'm just getting started.


	3. Chapter 3

The both of them thought it easiest to get the worst part of the night out of the way first. Doctor Fosset, handing her his data-pad, summarized the injuries of each marine he’d seen that day. The written report was interesting and all, and quite thorough, but Rayleth was content to idly scroll through each block of text while the human across from her gave her the short version.

He droned on for a while, listing each minor suit rupture and bruise, following with his treatment (usually a shot and the expected threat to rest). It didn’t take long for her to understand the gist of each Marine’s condition; Hurt, but recovering. Fosset finished his summary, picking up the tube of paste the Quarian had set in front of him.  
_“...And... I suppose that is everything important. Should you need anything else, I will send you the full report.”_  
  
Rayleth gave a nod, setting the pad back on the table with a tired sigh.  
“Thank you, Doctor. And I’m sorry that my men gave you as much trouble as they did.”  
  
He waved the apology away, already pulling on the tube’s induction port. She could pick up a quiet slurp from the inside of his helmet, the tip of the tube snapping nicely into a port on his mask.  
_“Captain, please. If I could not handle a grumpy marine or eight, I would not be the best doctor in the Flotilla.”_ _  
_  
The Quarian smiled to herself, pulling the cap off of her own meal.  
“I’m not so sure about the _best,_ But definitely the most humble.”  
  
_“Of course, Captain-”_  
She could already hear the grin in his voice, another slurp cutting him off.  
_“I will add that to the list of titles I hold; ‘Most handsome human on the Flotilla’, and ‘Undefeated Foosball champion’.”_ _  
_  
She just shook her head, the human’s invisible smile spreading to her as she started on her own dinner.  
“Doctor, this is an informal meeting. Please, call me Rayleth.”  
  
_“Are you certain, Captain Mara?”_

The woman suppressed a quiet giggle, nodding.  
“Of course. We’re friends, right?”  
  


His eyes snapped to her, his surprise visible even under his visor- 

His voice was hesitant as he spoke up, testing the word in his accented Khelish.  
_“If… You insist, Rayleth.”_ _  
_ She watched him pull the half-empty tube from his mask, his eyes skipping around the words on the side as he thought.  
_“I am fairly certain.. That you are the first Quarian to say that about me.”_  
Another pause.  
_“In my two decades of serving in this fleet, you’re the first.”_

  
Rayleth sat a bit straighter, a hint of concern in her voice now. 

“Doctor, that… isn’t true, right?”  
  
The human was silent, the hum of the ship the only sound between them for a moment. His voice softened as he finally spoke-  
_“I... believe so. Twenty two years of service, I… cannot recall…”_ _  
_ He trailed off, lost in his thoughts again.  
Her heart went out to the man. He seemed so… vulnerable. Twenty years without a _friend?_ The doctor was a bit of an ass to patients that argued with him, sure… But not a single friend? He continued-  
  


_“I know people, of course, it is my job as a doctor. But those are all professional relationships; I cannot remember the last time I was visited simply to talk…”_

Fosset picked at the edge of the tube in his hands, taking another moment to think about how to phrase what he wanted to say.  
The Quarian waited patiently, watching his fingers. Her gaze met him again as he started to speak.  
_“...I am.. Touched… That you consider me a friend, and not simply an asset as most have. Thank you.”_  
  
His words only made her smile grow, her eyes thin crescents behind the foggy glass that covered her face. 

“Of course Doctor, you’ve saved more of our people than I can count. You’re a good man, and I couldn’t imagine the _Vestira_ without you.”  
Rayleth had known this human for a little over three years- Despite each of her early visits ending in glares and threats, he would always put his full effort into treating her, and her crew- His comment about being an ‘asset’ stuck out to her, but she let it go for now.  
  
She could feel his smile as he looked back up at her, his own posture just a little straighter.  
_“Please… Call me John.”_  
  


* * *

The rest of their evening was rather uneventful. They discussed the condition of young Finn’Viras, Fosset had forwarded his captain a list of supplies he would need the next time they went trading, and had a short, rather... _embarrassing_ conversation about their age.  
John was still inwardly cringing at how he had handled that, the Quarian making a playful jab at him when he stood up with a groan. With a renewed confidence he responded without missing a beat; “You’ll be lucky to be in my shape when you reach 68, Rayleth.”

 _“Doctor, I am 75.”_ was her deadpan response. Without thinking he quipped back with a bold “Damn, really? I Hope I look as good as you when I get there…”  
  


Even now in his own office the next day he couldn’t stop thinking about that split second he realized what he said. The image of his captain, standing stiff as a board with eyes like headlights under her mask.  
He shook his head, his helmet already warming up from second-hand embarrassment-  
_‘Yikes. She already said you’re friends, John. Why'd you have to make it weird?’_

With a few hasty apologies and nervous chuckles, the two parted after that. Even with that somewhat _awkward_ ending to the evening, he didn’t regret showing up- His captain was a fine woman, and it was nice to get to know her a little better. At least until the very end, she seemed to be enjoying his company. 

From his office he could hear the infirmary door open with a hiss, a pair of voices filing into the cool room, a man and a woman-  
_“Keelah, I am telling you- -_ **_HACK-_ ** _It is just a fever!”_

The lighter voice responded, _“And I am telling YOU that you are getting looked at!”_ _  
_ The Human dropped whatever work he was in the middle of, all thoughts of the night before fading as ‘John’ turned into ‘Doctor Fosset’. 

Duty calls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How slow can this burn?
> 
> Very. Very slow.


	4. Chapter 4

The next few days were uneventful for the both of them. Uneventful, but restless. Both the Doctor and the Captain were extremely busy individuals, most of their work days leaving them with full desks well into the night. Four days after their dinner was the first time they saw each other again, exchanging smiling eyes and nods as they went about their work. It was three more days after that before Rayleth heard her omnitool go off at her side, cutting off the professional silence of the bridge with a quiet ‘ping’. 

‘ _ Need your permission for temporary transfer, would be easier to explain in person. Stop by for lunch? -Doctor Fosset.’ _ She closed the display, a grin hidden behind her mask. Finally, an excuse to- ...walk around a bit. She rose from her command chair, stretching with a quiet groan. Her XO perked up, his work station not far from the other side of the bridge.   
“You have the bridge, Blau. I’m getting lunch.”   
“Yes Captain.”

She gave his arm a few light pats as they passed each other.   
“I’ll bring you back something if you want, I shouldn’t be long.”   
He nodded in response, giving her a ‘Thank you Captain.’ before slipping into the command chair.    
  
Rayleth made the trip from bridge to infirmary in record time, an odd giddiness carrying her through the corridors of her ship- She’d been cooped up in the CIC for far too long, it would seem. She took the opportunity to chat up the occasional free engineer or miner, keeping each talk short and professional. The door to the infirmary opened with a familiar hiss, the cold air hitting her like a wall. Even from the doorway she could see into the human’s office, Fosset himself standing with his back to the door. Rayleth had never seen an alien other than her doctor, and the backwards knees had taken a lot of getting used to- His entire body marginally thicker than an average quarian male, while keeping the same shoulder width. A too-many fingered hand pressed against the back of his neck, presumably scratching himself through his suit. Almost on cue he set down the datapad in his other hand before turning, his eyes lighting up when he saw her.   
  
_ “Captain! I... did not expect to see you this soon, I had only just sent-” _   
  


Arms crossed, she stopped him.

“John, please. We’ve discussed this.”   
  
He straightened up the mention of his first name, his shoulders relaxing a bit after remembering their last conversations-   
_ “Of course Rayleth. My apologies.” _   
His accented voice managed to push out the word, giving a small smile through his mask. The doctor himself hadn’t used a translator in years, opting to speak Khelish himself out of respect for the Fleet. Occasionally this would give his voice a lisp or a foreign slant, and her name caused a noticeable hitch in his (mostly) practiced tongue.   
  
_ How exotic. _   
  
With a few more taps on his omnitool, he nodded to the door.   
_ “We should have time, I will be notified if someone walks in. Shall we go to the mess hall?” _   
  


The two walked side by side to the elevator at the end of the corridor, the quarian looking up at him.  _ Keelah I didn’t realize how tall he was- _ _   
_ “Doctor, why is it so cold in the infirmary? I feel like I’ll catch a cold just being in there.”   
His eyes lit up, giving an excited  _ ‘Well…’, _ thumbing the button for the crew deck.   
The elevator shook as it took the two down, giving the human enough time to gush with a smile in his eyes.   
_   
_ _ “Bacteria has a hard time growing in cold, dry environments- the air in the infirmary is cycled twice as much as anywhere else in the ship; that makes my office the safest place on the ship that is not a clean room!” _

His response was almost practiced, so matter-of-fact. He paused, waiting for her to stop him- but he was still more than happy to continue, eyes glinting under his visor.   
_ “We humans actually have a much higher internal body temperature than Quarians, so the cold actually feels quite nice in this suit- it can get so damn hot in here…” _

He was casually leaning against the wall of the elevator, standing upright when the doors slid open for them. They chatted about the odd medical fact on their way to the mess hall- Apparently the human body was built to  _ outlast _ their prey, rather than quickly chase down and end like her own ancestors- What an odd way to evolve… No wonder they had been so successful in the galaxy at large, thinking outside the box was in their genes!

She was certain he would’ve kept talking if the machine for requisitioning their food wasn’t something that required his full attention, making sure to order from their small supply of levo-friendly supplements. Long benches were stuffed with suits, all chatting, some laughing. Every quarian was used to tight quarters and small amounts of personal space, their elbows and shoulders often pumping or pressing against each other as they ate. Thankfully for them, there was a small round table off to the side, reserved for officers and high-ranking figures- Being Captain and Head of Medical respectively, they sat down comfortably with one chair between them. 

Fosset didn’t waste a second, plugging his tube of sustenance straight into his mask to suck it down as quickly as possible  _ (‘It’s not the good kind’) _ . Between quiet draws on his food, he got to work on his omnitool, his too-many-fingered hand flitting away at the intangible keys.    
‘ _ Keelah, how do they not get the way? And they’re so small… _ ’   
  


Rayleth had barely started on her own meal before the human pulled the induction port off of his mask with a ‘ _ pop _ ’. The doctor set the empty tube next to him, his omnitool firing up again.   
_ “Alright Cap- ..Rayleth, I will make this short, as I am sure you are a very busy woman.” _   
He flicked a block off of his screen, her own wrist beeping again.   
_ “There is the official report. To summarize, I would like a temporary two-week transfer to the Neema. They are experiencing an epidemic and my skills would be invaluable.” _   
  
Without hesitation, Rayleth gave a nod.   
“Granted. You’ll save a lot of lives there, John. I know you’ll make us proud.”   
  
_ “Their doctors are already swamped, and I know-” _   
He stopped as he processed what she’d said.

_ “...Oh. Well then. I,Er.. Good.” _   
Silence fell between them- He had expected more resistance, it seemed. The captain watched him for a moment before he nodded back. She could see his eyes tighten a bit, a small grin readable even through the small lenses in his mask.   
_ “Most captains would be afraid of their top medical officer being snatched right out from under them in a situation like this. I am glad you can think past this.” _   
  
“Don’t worry, John. I know you’ll come back.”   
She gave a casual shrug, her own playful grin forming.   
  


_ “Oh? And what makes you so sure? They could offer me all sorts of things while I’m away- I  _ am  _ the best doctor in the Fleet, after all.” _

He leaned back in his chair, head cocked slightly to the side as he waited for an answer.   
Rayleth mirrored the human, leaning back confidently-   
  


“Because, John. I know which Levo-paste you prefer.  _ And _ of course, I expect a full report to be delivered  _ when _ you get back. I’ll give you a verbal debriefing in my quarters.”   
The human barked out a short laugh, shaking his head- the smile on his face was unmistakable now.

  
_ “Aye aye, captain. It’s a date.”   
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A touch longer than usual, but still a short read for ya ;^)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit delayed, but here's number 5

The transfer went over smoothly the next day, Rayleth coming to the shuttle bay to see off her best medical officer- It wasn’t _abnormal_ for a captain to oversee these transfers, especially when it came to high-level personnel, but… John counted his personal items again- not even enough to count on two (of his) hands. The human had adapted to the Quarian way of living much more smoothly than anyone expected, his list of personal items not leaving the teens.   
_'Food. Personal Terminal. Patches and Omnigel. Omnitool if you count it...'_ He counted the few things he had brought with; Rayleth was _very_ clear that he was coming back, and who was he to argue with his superior officer? He grinned to himself under his mask. What was it she'd said? _He_ would miss _her?_  
  


* * *

The captain watched the shuttle flick out of sight through the forcefield keeping the bay pressurized, her face emotionless under her mask. Her doctor was off to save lives, what he did best. Halfway through turning back to the elevator she paused- _Her SHIP’S Doctor._ She corrected her own thoughts with a shake of her head. They’d already had a discussion about how other captains viewed the human- An asset. A resource.

  
Rayleth almost slapped the button to the command deck in the elevator. She took a deep breath, shaking her head again. She’d gotten herself worked up- _‘Keelah, Calm down, woman. John’s an adult- he can handle himself.’_   
The elevator doors slid open and a new woman walked out- This one focused on her work as a captain. 

_‘Two weeks isn’t that long.’_ a small part of her mind reminded her.

* * *

  
  
John hadn’t expected to see the captain of _the Neema_ when he arrived, but he snapped to attention when he stepped out of the shuttle, his Alliance salute varying only slightly than a quarian one; a flat knife hand replacing the one finger normally used. 

Immediately he could feel tension in the room- Something was off. There were too many marines in here. Fosset’s eyes flicked around to each mask as he held his salute. The captain looked him up and down, hands behind his back.   
  


The silence in the shuttle bay lasted just long enough to be awkward. Finally the quarian nodded to himself, satisfied with whatever it was he had seen.  
 _“At ease, Doctor.”_

The human obeyed without hesitation; legs slightly apart, hands behind his back.  
“Permission to get to work, Captain?” He kept his chin up, looking straight ahead. John had served in the First Contact War, a service he was proud of, but had brought scrutiny to his time in the fleet. He had expected to be confronted, he was on every ship he served on sooner or later. But this had to be a new record…

_“Do you know who I am, Doctor?”_ _  
_ _  
_ _‘Oh Christ…’_   
“No Sir.”   
  
He answered simply- it was best to let the captain stroke his ego for a while. Besides, what could he possibly have to say to John that he hadn’t already heard?   
  
_“I am Han’Garrel Vas Neema, Admiral of the Heavy fleet.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _‘Oh_ _ Christ. _ _’_

The human straightened up more, if it were even possible. He had only seen an admiral once before- If he thought Captains could be rough...  
The quarian continued with bright eyes locked onto his.

  
 _“I have read your files. Is it true that the death rate on the_ Vestira _has dropped by Fifty percent since your arrival?”_   
  
John tilted his head upwards, pride flaring in his voice as he spoke.   
“Actually, the number you’re looking for is _Seventy seven_ percent. Sir.”

He let his words sink in for a moment before continuing, confidence replacing pride.  
“I’m the best at what I do. I _will_ save your people.” Another moment of silence settled between them. Finally the Admiral nodded again, motioning for him to follow.   
_“Good. The numbers are on your side, Doctor. Let us hope you can work well on your feet.”_

Several soldiers followed the pair of them deeper into the ship. The racket of the ship and the thundering of boots on steel were the only sounds between them now.

The Admiral passed him off to another officer, dissapering into another door with his guards. _“Welcome to the Neema Doctor. I am Doctor Vith’Tallaz, head of all medical operations in this section of the ship. While you are here you will be answering directly to me.”_ _  
_ Fosset nodded, the two of them almost jogging now.   
_“You will be sleeping with the other doctors. The room next to the hospital elevator has been converted into a barracks, and you will be expected to go through decontamination whenever you enter or leave.”_   
  
The human watched each hall and doorway they passed- The usually cramped corridors of the liveship were almost barren, most of the crew in this section quarantined to their rooms while medical personnel from ships all around went from door to door- Boosters and antibiotics being passed out like candy to damn near everyone.   
“How many sick so far?”   
  
_“Almost three thousand. We have sealed these decks off, and are taking every possible measure to stop the spread.”_   
  
“I noticed.” He grumbled quietly. Empty hallways were always haunting, even before joining the Flotilla. The two exchanged goodbyes outside of the barracks; the human dumped his meager belongings onto a cot, sorting everything into the two drawers underneath. No time like the present to get to work.

* * *

_“Your legs are weird!”_   
  
John smiled at the bluntness of the young quarian girl in the examination bed in front of him. Even when threatened with death, children were so innocent. The other doctors had refused to look at her after her first diagnosis. It was bad… But Fosset was used to bad.   
  
“Are they? I think they look fine.”

He bent his leg, his heel pressing against his backside. Quarian digitigrade legs folded and bent much more smoothly, their second knee not far behind the first. To get the same angle a Quarian would need to break their leg! The human was rewarded with a giggle-filled _‘Ewwww!’_ from the child.   
  


_‘Yes. Keep laughing. Laughter is the best medicine after all…’_   
  
“Wait until you see my hands.”   
He held his right hand flat for her, his eyes scanning the text scrolling on his omnitool. John was far too stubborn to accept ‘nothing to be done’ as an excuse to condemn this poor girl to death. He would never accuse the other doctors of being lazy- they were working just as hard as he was. Occasionally one of them would rush past, giving him an almost sad look… But again, Fosset was stubborn.   
  
Even through throat-ripping coughs the child managed to grab at his hand, playing with each finger with wide glowing eyes. Like nothing happened she was back to giggling. 

Fosset’s eyes flicked to the time- He’d spent almost an hour on one patient. There were hundreds more that needed his attention... For a split moment he was torn. Between his duty as a doctor to help as many as he could, and his humanity; his innate drive to save _absolutely everyone_. 

_‘It won’t come to that.’_   
He closed his omnitool, the scowl under his mask changing to a clear smile in his eyes.   
“Alright kid. I’m gonna give you some antibiotics, and in a few days you’ll be fine. Sound good?” He lied straight to her face. He knew it wouldn’t be that simple, but a child shouldn’t have to deal with _this._ Another coughing fit cut off her words, so she only nodded. He held her right arm flat, pressing an injector against the small port just above her right wrist. Underneath he knew a needle was pressed into her skin, pushing anything injected into the young quarian’s body as fast as possible. John had a similar port on his left wrist- His own circular system mirroring hers.

“Alright. Get plenty of rest, drink plenty of water. I’ll be back as soon as I can for a second shot!”  
Fake cheer in his voice, he gave her the best advice he could. He _would_ save this girl. She croaked out a quiet _“Thank you...”_ Her voice already shot from coughing. 

Doctor Tallaz caught John’s eye on his way to the next patient, waving him over with a flick of his wrist. Fosset crossed his arms as the quarian tapped on his omnitool for a moment longer. _“Doctor Fosset, Please tell me you know what you are doing.”_   
He looked at him sadly. Even through the visor John could tell what the doctor thought of his work.   
“I know enough. I know that this girl has a promising future ahead of her. I know that we may be the only people to give her that future, but there are plenty others that need our help.”   
Vith only sighed.   
_“As long as you realize you cannot save everyone, you’re welcome to try. That is all.”_   
In one ear, straight out the other; Fosset was already studying the illness, sending his omnitool data to his terminal.   
  
_Sorry Vith. Saving everyone is what humans are best at._   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder that I have no plans for where this story is going lol  
> Hope you're enjoying it!


	6. Chapter 6

A barely conscious Rayleth held up her hand to silence her XO.

“-Just give me the important bits first, Blau. I’ll read the rest when I’m more awake.” The efficiency of the Vestira was unaffected by the change of shifts, the evening lights on the Civilian deck phasing back to their full brightness. The bulk of the crew stirred to life; Children preparing for schooling on a higher deck, marines and soldiers downing their breakfasts in preparation for their exercises, and one  _ very  _ grumpy captain. The man in front of her hesitated, his fingers flicking across the screen he held.    
  
“Right... Well, Engineering would like to requisition new tools- Theirs are, quote, ‘getting shotty’.”

Still holding his data pad he raised his free hand to give a half-effort, one fingered air quote. He shook his head, exasperation in his eyes. “They’ve asked me three times now-” The captain yawned quietly, reminding him to keep it short. He scanned the pages of reports one last time before just handing her the data pad. “The rest I have handled. Before you get to work though Captain, you have a few messages and a call request.”

THAT caught her attention. She flicked through her inbox, a dozen or so requests pushed to the side. The doctor had sent her a message... A small grin tugged at the corner of her lips. It was the last message that caught her attention; With a small gasp she tapped the message from “Rhil’Varra”. Her daughter had  _ finally _ found time to talk to her.   
  
“Ah… Thank you Blau. This is a call I need to take.”

Her XO only nodded, returning to his station. “Take your time, Captain. We’re not going anywhere.” She could hear his smile, returning it with a small bow of her head before retreating back into her quarters. Not even two minutes later Rayleth was at her desk, the terminal connecting to another somewhere in the Fleet; Her mood soared when she saw the familiar mask and soft teal  _ realk  _ of her daughter, beaming eyes looking back through the screen. 

“Mother! It’s so good to see you!”

  
“Rhil’Varra, is that how you were taught to greet a superior officer?”   
  


Before she could pick up on her mother’s teasing tone, Rhil gasped and snapped to attention, giving a crisp salute. She held for a few seconds, waiting for an order before dropping her hand with a groan. “ _ Keelah _ mother, you’re terrible sometimes! I almost had a heart attack!” The two of them broke down into bubbly laughter- Rhil was the first to speak, hands on her hips. “And don’t you dare do that to Yellen! He may be a soldier, but I think you scare him more than any pirate ever could.”   
  
Rayleth smiled behind her mask; Her Bonded-son was a real character. An absolute monster of a quarian, the boy needed a custom suit from the day he left his bubble. She recalled a story that was spread on his return detailing a run-in he had with a gang of Turians… Now significantly smaller. He would never talk about that himself, the modest young man. When there wasn’t a commander telling him what to do he was such a shy boy.    
“As I should! He knows that if he ever hurt you I would-”   
  
“Mother…”   
She sounded more exhausted than angry. They had been over this far too many times for Rhil to find this as funny as her mother had.    
“I know, I know… But still.”   
  


Rayleth stifled a giggle, reading a glare from behind the mask on screen. She changed the subject, hoping she hadn’t regretted calling. “So how is my granddaughter? When do I get to see her?”   
  
It was Rhil’s turn to hide a smile, the young quarian looking over her shoulder. She turned the terminal slightly, hiding a door that was only just visible in the background. “When you come visit in person, perhaps. Your first meeting won’t be through a screen!”

“Keelah, you’re just like your father! I’ll see if I can work some leave to visit the  _ Idenna- _ Blau is more than capable of holding on his own.”

“I’ve always liked Blau... How is he?”   
  


* * *

_ ‘Christ almighty I am... exhausted...’ _   
Fosset ran a hand over his smooth helmet, strained eyes scanning the fifth datapad he was handed in the past hour. He was working on fumes, and he knew more than anyone that there was only so long stims could keep the human body awake before there was permanent damage.    
He was amused at the thought of him, a  _ doctor _ who talked down to marines and even his own  _ Captain  _ over bedrest, was now denying himself even what he needed to think straight. A cure wasn’t the hard part, Cures for this type of plague had already been developed. It was stabilizing those already sick and dying that was the real work.  _ And that damn kid… _   
  
He dropped his datapad into the growing pile the doctors had been collecting in their barrack, running both hands over his faceplate. What he wouldn’t give just to touch his face again… What had it been, four months? Five? He was probably in desperate need of a shave- and a haircut. 

The door to the barrack slid open, the ragged form of Doctor Tallaz trudging in to sit next to him with a sigh. His body language mirrored the human’s in every way; sluggish movements and sagged shoulders all screaming ‘overworked’. He grabbed the same datapad Fosset had dropped, scanning a few words before giving the human a side-eye.    
  
_ “Still awake, Fosset? Did I not catch you here before I went to sleep  _ yesterday _?” _   
All he could muster was a grunt. The quarian continued, his tablet lowering.   
_ “You should rest. I do not know much of human biology, but you  _ do  _ require sleep, yes?” _   
He managed a wry grin behind his mask, his eyes only barely focusing on the man next to him. 

  
“I’m a tough old coot, Vith. It’ll take more than a few hours of missed shut-eye to knock me down. Besides, I was pulling all-nighters before you even left for pilgrimage.”   
He poked his shoulder to emphasize his point, the other doctor only shaking his head.   
_ “Fosset, do not make me pull rank on you. Go get some sleep, or I will… What was it? ‘Strap you to your bed myself’?” _   
  
The clever bastard was smiling now, even sleep deprived he could hear the grin in his voice.   
“Hmph. I see that little story still hasn’t died.”   
  
_ “Of course not! An alien doctor threatens a strong quarian captain on her own ship,  _ and she complies? _ I am certain they teach that story as a required part of medical school now.” _   
He finally managed a chuckle, closing his eyes for a moment. Then a moment more… Then…   
“Fine. But if anything exciting happens, I want you to wake me.”   
  
_ “Of course, Doctor Fosset.” _ He clearly had no intention of doing so, but John was far too tired to argue now. Three days (give or take a few hours, he’d stopped counting after the first 48) of constant work, not allowing himself even a power nap had worn the old man down. He could fight a marine to a medical table on a good day, but his joints still ached if he stood too long without walking. He could bark at a young’un until their ears bled, but his back still screamed at him if he sat wrong for too long. He took his sweet time shuffling to his cot, his age showing even more as he dropped into the barely soft mattress. He was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

* * *

A sharp pang in his stomach was the first thing Fosset noticed when he finally awoke. His military training kicked in shortly after, his feet swinging over the edge of his bed before he was even fully awake. He looked around the room through glazed eyes, blinking a few times to force the sleep out of his mind. The beds that were full had shuffled, each doctor taking their own schedule when it came to treating patients. They were all eager to help, the majority of the additional help being volunteers or quarian medical students looking for experience- Missing sleep was a regular occurrence in his field, it would seem.    
  
Another hunger pang drove Fosset out of bed in search of his levo-paste. Fresh out of bed, he plugged a tube of  _ ‘the good stuff’ _ into his mask, flicking through his omnitool. Several memos and patient lists from the  _ Neema _ cluttered his inbox- A few questions from his stand-in on the  _ Vestira _ , a message from his Capta- from Rayleth.   
  
He mentally corrected himself, a spark of… Something in his chest. Excitement?    
_ ‘Hell, so she didn’t forget about me...’ _   
He allowed himself a smirk at his own little joke. If she were here, he’d jab about being ‘your favourite human’. Damn, he’d really underestimated how much he would miss hanging out with his c- with Rayleth. It was still so odd to him- They’d known each other for years, but only two weeks ago had he actually  _ met _ the woman. He’d always enjoyed verbally sparring with those who came to his infirmary, but when it came to slinging prattle, Rayleth was in another  _ league _ . H is mind was already running through things to say the next time they’d meet-  He had to snap himself out of the little fantasy conversations he was having, forcing himself to look back at the actual message. Fosset reread the block of text his mind had blanked over, smiling at Rayleth’s mention of her daughter, and her daughter’s daughter. 

_ ‘I should message my kids soon, see how they’re all doing…’  _ The message ended with his captain, complaining more than anything, about his replacement’s lamenting. The quarian doctor serving temporarily in his place was from a few decks below his, and was having a hell of a time getting the few marines he treated to take his recommendations seriously. THAT put a grin on his face. It was nice to be a specialist, it seemed. 

The faint light of his omnitool had only just faded before it flashed to life again. The human actually jumped at the noise of his ringtone, covering his arm to muffle the noise as he rushed outside the barrack. A call in this manner was almost considered rude in quarian culture. A call like this either meant that _someone_ didn't respect his time (as unlikely as that was),  or there was an emergency.  
  


He swiped to accept the call, leaning against the wall as he spoke.   
“This is Doctor John Fosset vas Vestira, reading you from the  _ Neema. _ ”   
His full ‘quarian’ name was something he was used to by now, even if he still on occasion butchered the pronunciation on occasion.   
  


The voice on the other end was firm, but rushed.   
_ “Doctor Fosset? This is Captain Ysin’Mal vas Idenna. I will keep this brief-” _ _  
_ He stood up straighter-

_ “We have a small group of humans on board one of our scout ships an hour away from our current position. One of them is injured, and requires medical attention. None of my doctors are trained to treat humans-” _   
  
He was jogging down the halls now, cutting him off.   
“I’m already on my way to the shuttles. ETA forty minutes.”   
  
_ “Good. Captain Mal out.” _   
His omnitool faded again, leaving Fosset to sigh to himself as he tapped the call button on an elevator.   
  
_ ‘Not even a thank you… I like my captain better.’ _   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a bit longer to come out, but I'm proud of my work so far :) Bug me for more if you enjoyed!


	7. Chapter 7

From the moment he entered the  _ Idenna _ there wasn’t a moment for John to collect his thoughts. The shuttle ferrying the injured humans had arrived ahead of schedule, the lights of the impulse engines visible even as the doctor stepped into the hangar. John was still dripping in sterilization fluid as he was rushed inside the vessel, the door sealing shut behind him. An unorthodox way to treat patients, but he understood the quarian’s suspicion. When your life depends on a ship, one would be hesitant to let a stranger inside. At least they’d given him a terminal to use.

Three humans, all various ages, heritages, etc. Fosset could tell just from the way they held themselves that they were in shock, the one male of the group less so. He’d seen soldiers on the front line before, once you’d seen it it was hard to forget. John shooed away the soldiers standing around, shoving if he had to, forcing them to give him room to work. The doctor’s omnitool flickered to life as he started his scans, the man’s gruff voice almost choking out of his vocalizer.    
  
“C’mon Doc, I’ve lasted this long. Them first.”   
  
John’s mouth started to form a response before his mind had even processed what he’d said, raising a hand to silence his patient. “Do not-” His thoughts hitched before he realized; He’d all but forgotten how to speak English. He’d used words from his native language on occasion, spicing up his Khelish, voluntary or not. But now it would seem that after two decades of desuetude, his ability to form sentences with the language had all but disappeared. He didn’t want to even think about how much French he’d forgotten since his college days…

_ “Eh.. No. You stay… On you I will work, firstly.” _ He hoped to God he didn’t sound as bad as he did in his head, but by the look his patient gave him it was far worse. It had been years since he’d considered even using his translator, but he sure wasn’t going to start with his damn birth language. It’d be just like riding a bike… Was that even the right word..? Now he was just getting self conscious...

Fortunately he didn’t need to remember English to practice medicine. It took a moment to get reacquainted with the human body, but the man on the examination bed was certainly a good refresher. His liver could use a break, and the field-healing he’d gotten recently could’ve been… better. More in-depth scanning flagged him as a trained biotic with an L3 implant. Rather than try to explain and embarrass himself more, John simply showed him the scans, pointing at each patch job with a disapproving shake of his head.  _ He _ knew they’d need to be redone, but it was a coin toss if his patient understood. 

He gave up and shook his head, patting the man on the chest; His attention turned to the woman. Her analysis was much faster than her companion’s, the only noticeable injuries being a few bruises that would heal with time. Both humans tensed when he neared the third- She shied away from his hand when he reached to scan her. John hesitated, looking back at the other two.   
  
“She... doesn’t like to be touched. Just uhm..” The woman tried to explain, most of the words only making sense when he thought about them, and not in that order. After a moment he gave a small nod, turning back to his last patient with a warm smile in his eyes. 

_ “Eh… Touching you... will not happen. Only scanning, okay?” _ He did his best to be as reassuring as his shattered English would allow, holding up his hands innocently. It took nearly a minute for her to nod in response, the doctor giving her a small bow with a  _ ‘Thanks to you.’ _ before starting his scans. An elevated heart rate and trace amounts of Eezo in her system instantly flagged her as a biotic, and a strong one at that. The poor girl flinched more than once while Fosset worked, but finally relaxed when he gave a thumbs up, much to everyone else’s relief. Satisfied with his work so far, John turned his attention to the soldiers he’d pushed to the back of the shuttle. 

“You two. Out. I’m opening this one’s suit for surgery.” The two marines looked at eachother, neither willing to speak at first.  _ “Doctor, we were given very strict orders to guard our ‘guests’. Our commander-” _ John cut them off with a loud sigh, closing his omnitool. “Fine. If you must stay, the least you could do is turn your backs.” Again they hesitated, but they did as they were told. Opening a suit was considered the most intimate thing a quarian could do, only done around those one trusted implicitly; or in some rare and particularly dire cases, a doctor. It was an aspect of Quarian culture that had managed to worm it’s way into John’s head a long time ago, and one he took as seriously as any other quarian. Even through the thin eye visor their guests shared, Fosset could pick out a smirk. 

“You know my translator can pick up Quarian, right Doc?”

John repeated the words in his head a few times to feel their meaning, their eyes meeting when they finally did. He blinked once. Twice. Three times. In hindsight, it made perfect sense; Of course they would have translators. Why wouldn’t they? They were probably standard issue by now, rather than something that had to be sought out for exuberant prices. He sighed again, shaking his head. He was so damn old… 

“Ah. I see. Well, mister..?”    
  
“Mitra. Hendel Mitra.”

He held out a beefy hand, John meeting it with a firm shake. Some things would take more than twenty years to slip away, it would seem. “John Fosset vas Vestira. It’s a pleasure. Now to business…”

He brought up his scans again, this time taking the time to explain each wound in Khelish. 

“...The medigel used to patch your most recent breaks was applied quickly, and poorly. I’ll have to re-break those bones and set them properly to prevent any lesions from forming, both in your ribs, and your arm.”

Hendel flashed a look at the woman he’d come in with, but nodded. “If you say so, Doc.” He worked at the seal on his neck, a soft hiss slipping between his fingers as he pulled off his helmet. John averted his eyes out of habit, occupying himself by pulling up the necessary programs on his omnitool. Re-breaking bones wasn’t a fun experience for anyone involved.

* * *

Rayleth knew that she took her XO for granted, despite his insistence to the contrary. Blau had done nearly twice-on again his usual load of work, but each time something came up he only nodded in understanding. ‘Of course, Captain. Take your time.’ She’d have to make it up to him, maybe pull some strings to get him his own ship… Another call from her daughter had pulled her away from the bridge, the gleaming eyes of both Rhil and her bondmate Yellen meeting her when the call connected. 

It was almost jarring seeing the two of them next to each other, the former a thin-framed woman who looked one strong breeze away from collapsing, and the latter an absolute tank of a man who looked like he could eat his own weight in pure protein a day. The two of them saluted immediately, pulling a light laugh from Rayleth. “Alright alright I get it... Mother’s no fun, now what is it you want? I’m a  _ very _ busy woman, you know.”

Her daughter ignored her teasing, practically grabbing the terminal. Her words were bursting with excitement, even her normally timid bondmate looked like he was going to burst. “Mother! Lesi said her first word!” 

It took a moment for her words to sink in, but when they did she could feel a smile slowly spread under her mask. Her granddaughter, a tiny thing only six months old, was  _ already _ speaking. It wouldn’t be too long before she became a  _ real _ terror like her mother was, trying to roll out of their quarters in her adorable little bubble… “That.. That’s amazing! What did she say? Is she there now?” Rayleth leaned forward in her chair, trying to sneak a peek behind them through the screen. Rhil put her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing into thin, glowing slits. “Oh no, I told you already mother, if you wanna see her,  _ you  _ need to come over  _ here _ ! Lesi will not me-” 

She was cut off by a low rumble, the whole room shaking around them. The two on the other end looked at each other before Yellen’s omnitool chirped a quiet alert not a moment later. He rushed offscreen, answering with a few hushed words. 

“Rhil? What was that?”

“Mother? I th--- w--- -- Tec-- -- ---- --”

Her words faded into garbled static, the display freezing on her worried face before the feed was cut. Her terminal disconnected the call, leaving the captain in silence as she stared dumbly at her screen. Part of her mind, the more rational ‘Captain Mara’ side ran through a number of things that could’ve caused a feed cut. A power surge, or a shield short-out on occasion were not necessarily common, but the  _ Idenna _ was a Batarian ship. These thoughts were drowned out by ‘Rhil’s mother’, every worst case scenario running through her mind like a train. 

Almost kicking her chair away from her, she stormed out of her quarters, her eyes like headlights under her mask. She stopped just short of barging into the command chair, Blau sitting up a bit straighter when he saw her. “Ma’am, was there-”

“Blau, give me a status report on the  _ Idenna _ .” Her tone was firm and commanding, her panic pushed aside- She wouldn’t be a captain if she let her emotions control her. Her XO wordlessly flicked through a few screens, then a few more. “Hm… Last known position looks empty… Let me check Visual scans.” A few quiet ticks from his console brought up a different screen, a blurry image of the  _ Idenna _ slowly filling out, exactly where it was meant to be. Silence filled the bridge as Blau ran another scan, only for his console to spit back nothing but static. “ _ Idenna,  _ this is the  _ Vestira, _ report.”   
  


Static.

Blau gave one last attempt to contact the ship, turning to see his captain already rushing to the door. “Blau, scramble away-teams. I want a squad in the shuttle bay before I touch my rifle!”

“Yes Captain.” 

The Quarian swiped a few screens away, half a dozen of the  _ Vestira’s _ finest being called into action. He gave a quiet prayer to the Ancestors, willing his captain to come back alive, should the worst happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay okay maybe I should work a lil harder on keeping this updated lol. Tell me if ya enjoyed it (:


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